ALBUM: The Happiness Project by Charles Spearin

I've been sitting at my computer trying to figure out what I'm going to write about this record and I just can't think of anything that fits. Everything I've come up with so far has either been lame, or so lionizing that you'd probably dismiss it out-right. So I've just decided to describe, as simply as possible, what Charles Spearin has done here, and then let the music speak for itself.

So here's the facts: About a year ago Charles Spearin (Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think) started informally interviewing his Toronto neighbors about what made them happy. Then he took those recorded interviews, mined the sound of their voices for melodies and rhythm, and arranged them into songs that matched not just their audible cadences, but the spirit of what they'd shared. The Happiness Project is what resulted.

"All of the melodies on this album are the melodies of everyday life." - Charles Spearin

HERE is a video you should watch. It's a look at the record as a whole and an interview with Spearin on how it was made. This album is one of the most profoundly beautiful pieces of music I've heard in a really long time.

Tracklist (stream the whole thing HERE):
1. Mrs. Morris
2. Anna
3. Vittoria
4. Vanessa
5. Marisa
6. Ondine
7. Mr. Gowrie
8. Mrs. Morris (reprise)

mp3: Charles Spearin - Anna
from The Happiness Project (Amazon/iTunes)